The Come Up

Chapter 18 - Alpha Phi Alpha

I've been in Harvington for more than two weeks now, and aside from the occasional loud mouths on the floor, it's been pretty peaceful. The people seem nice enough but I haven't really made any friends aside from Kelly. Then again, I haven't really tried. Kelly and I made a tradition of having breakfast together. She doesn't eat much, so usually i'm sitting across from her, my pancakes already half gone before I start on my eggs and bacon.

She usually had a banana and yogurt with a glass of water. We were both around the same size.

"I wonder where all your food goes." She laughed one day.

"It goes to the cake." I responded.

"The cake?" She looked at me confused and I rolled my eyes smiling.

"You a different type of white girl." I said jokingly.

"I know! I'm so out of everything. What's the cake? Like your thighs?" She asked biting into her banana.

I giggled. "It's ya ass. My food goes to my ass."

"Ohh, cake means ass." She laughed and moved her hair behind her ears awkwardly.

"Do I have cake?"

I broke out in laughter almost choking on my eggs. "If you got THE cake?" I asked, rephrasing it for her.

"Oh, you have to put 'the' in front of it?" She was hysterically laughing now and so was I, her cluelessness was cute. She really had no idea.

"Yea." I nodded as I smiled at her. "You got a lil somn back there." I answered.

"Yayy!" She sang. I giggled at her. In the few days we have spent together, I've gotten a good sense of her personality and it doesn't completely clash with mine, though I am a little more chill than she is. I liked having her around. She was rarely in the room, but when she was I welcomed her company.

Trisha has been calling and texting me throughout the days. I go outside to talk to her, that way I can say everything I want without being cautious of offending Kelly. Trisha spoke recklessly. We had to develop a system where it was safe for her to be herself.

Our phone call yesterday kind of set me on edge.

"Yo, she started. Do I got some shit to tell you." Her voice was muffled like she was walking somewhere.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Is whitey around? I mean... what's that shit you said to say? Banana bread?" Trisha laughed midway through her sentence as if she could feel my annoyance.

"What's the point of making a phrase you not gon follow till after you say something crazy?" I asked sucking my teeth. "No, I'm in the lounge. Whats's going on?"

"Julius died." 

It's silent for a moment. I sit up in the couch, a mixture of sadness and confusion running through me. 

"How?" I asked Trisha. 

"He was back in the hospital a little bit and then he went into  coma. Word on the block is, his pops couldn't deal with the hospital bills, told them to pull the plug since he was mostly brain dead." 

My heart sank into the ground. 

"So, what they sayin this means?" I rub my forehead as I pause. "About Trevon, what does this mean for Trevon?" I ask scared. 

Trisha sighs on the other end. " They can't do another trail for the same crime. The case is closed so it doesn't affect him they said." 

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Good."